Distributing mechanism of typographical composing-machines.



C. MUEHLEISEN. DlSTRIBUTING MECHANISM OF TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINES. APPLlCATlON FILED NOV. 11. 1916.

1,228,228. Patented May2 17.

3 SHEETS-SHE C. IVIUEHLEISEM- DISTRIBUTING MECHANISM OF TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED. NOV. II, I9I6.

1,228,228. Patented Ma 1917.

3 SHEETS- T 2- Jnvon fox c. MUEHLEISEN. I DISTRIBUTING MECHANISM OF TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. II. I9I'6.

1,228,228. Patented May 29, 1917;

I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

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z M V I5 PETERS co. PHOID-LITNON wnsumcmu n t CARL MUEHLEISEN, 0F BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNIORATO MERGENTI-IALER, LINOTYPE COMPANY, A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

DISTRIBUTING MECHANISM OF TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING-MACI-IINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed November 11, 1916. Serial No. 130,883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL MUEHLEISEN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chausseestrasse 28, Berlin, N. 4:, in the Empire of Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Distributing Mechanism of Typographical Composing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to typographical composing machines such as those known commercially under the trade-mark Llnotype, and particularly to distributing mechanism therefor adapted to distribute matrices or type-dies (which latter are to be regarded as included in. the term matrices as hereinafter used) to a plurality of magazines. Such distribution necessarily involves separation of the matrices according to font to insure their delivery to the proper magazines, and their separation according to character so that they may be returned to the respective channels of the particular magazine appropriate to the respective font. It is already known, in connection with distributing mechanism of the kind referred to, for the matrices to be first separated ac cording to font and delivered to separate distributers appropriate to the respective.

fonts, where they are traversed along'the well-known distributer rail and released according to character into the proper channels of the respective magazine. It has also been suggested to employ movable guides in a channel or throat common to a plurality of magazines and located between the distributer rail and the magazine entrances, whereby matrices, already separated according to character, are deflected, during their passage through the throat, toward or into the appropriate magazine. The multiplication of distributers involved in the use of the first above-mentioned method renders the apparatus complicated and inconvenient when a considerable number of magazines are to be arranged for, and the movable guides employed in connection with the last above-named method are not always- S il means y which the matrices are r The drawings illustrate, as examples, four constructional forms of the invention,

Figure 1 being a side elevation of one such constructional form as applied to a machine having two magazines;

Fig. 2, a view of the same from the rear of the machine, 71. 0., from the right-hand side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged'side view of a detached portion of the distributer bar.

Fig. 3, a plan of the magazine entrances, drawn to a larger scale;

Fig. 4., a side elevation of a second constructional form as applied to a machine having six magazines;.-

Fig. 5, a side elevation of a third constructional form in which two distributers are used, each serving three magazines, in a six-magazine machine;

I Fig. 6, a plan of the three of the magazines of the'arrangement shown in Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a fourth (1011- .tributer of well known construction, com-- prising a ribbed rail and a number of distributer screws, usuallythree, by which the matrices X are traversed along the distributer rail, the latter being provided with a plurality of series of combinations 0 and 0 (see Fig. '2) arranged alternately or successively in the length of the rail so as to release matrices of one font at different points according to character and matrices of another font at intermediate points 'according to character. For a detailed description and illustration of the distributor, reference may be had to my prior Letters Patent No. 718,781, or the Letters Patent granted to J, R. Rogers, No. 1,073,170, or to Earle ,& Druitt No. 1,153,049. In the constructional at ached to the a m d or to th di t te rail and bears against an eccentric g, which is mounted upon a shaft By turning the shaft and eccentric g, the distributer 0 will be rocked, and brought above each of the two magazines in alternation. As the matrixreleasing means or combinations appropriate to the separate fonts are arranged, in known manner, successively, or alternately for two magazines, along the distributer rail, they will always be located above the channels of the respective magazine as the distributer rocks thereover, the said channels or rather the so-called magazine entrances leading toward them, being arranged in echelon for this purpose, as shown in Fig. 3, thus avoiding an excessive width of the magazines. The speed of oscillation of the distributer is coordinated with the speed of rotation and the pitch of the distributer screws so that when the distributer is above, say, the magazine b, all the matrices of one font which are then being propelled. along the distributer rail will be located above and dropped into the channels of that magazine, and during the swing of the distributer from its position above the magazine 6 to its position above the magazine b the distributor screws will turn to an extent sufficient only to move the whole of the matrices of another font forward half the width of a channel, thus bringing the matrices directly above and allowing them to be dropped into the channels of the said other magazine. In other words, if the pitch of the distributer screws is equal to the width of a magazine channel, the screws must rotate once for every complete oscillation of the distributer, which thus releases the matrices of the different fonts at different phases of its operation or of the rotation of the propelling screws. The rotation of the shaft 9 or cam disk 9 and of the distributer screws is therefore effected through a double sprocket wheel z .co-axial with the pivot of the distributer.

A chain h is used for transferring the motion from the sprocket wheel a to a sprocket wheel arranged upon one of the distributer screws and a chain 7L connects the sprocket wheel 2' to another sprocket wheel mounted upon the shaft g as shown in Fig. 2.

The introduction of the matrices into the distributer is effected through a chute 76 which rocks with the distributer and is pivoted at or near the pivotal axis of the distributer. From the second-elevator lift-bar m arranged in the known manner, the mat rices are transferred singly by a lifter, as shown in Fig. 2, to the chute throu h which they will reach the well-known liftbox a which also rocks with the distributer and by which the matrices are brought separately into engagement with the distributer rail and screws of the distributer 0.

In Fig. a second constructional form of the invention has been illustrated in connection with a machine having six superposed magazines 5 to b. Each pair of magazines has a common feeding throat O 0 0, over the entrances of which the distributer 0 rocks. In order to insure that the distributer maintains its proper vertical position throughout its swing, a parallel linkage (Z, (Z (Z has been provided. The matrices are distributed by the distributer 0 into the proper channels of the three throats 0 0 0 in the same manner as that previously described for two magazines, the distributer rail in the present case being appropriately modified to insure that the matrices intended for any one of the throats 0 0 or 0 will be released from it when the distributer is directly above that throat for which purpose, as will now be understood, the channels of the threats 0?, 0 0 must be arranged in echelon, corresponding channels of the respective throats being out of alincment to the extent of about one third of the width of a channel, in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 6 hereinafter referred to. In this case, also, the devices are so arranged and operated that the matrices will drop only when the distributer rocks from right to left, to prevent the descent of the matrices being impeded by the lower distributer screw; that is to say, the cam disk g is so constructed that during a quarter revolution, the distributer will be rocked from left to right into operative relation to the rearmost throats 0 and during the remaining threequarters revolution, the distributer will be rocked from right to left, pausing momen tarily above the throats 0 0 in succession and releasing matrices thereinto of corresponding font according to character. As soon as the matrices reach the lower extremity of the throats 0 to 0 they will be diverted into one or other of the two magazines appertaining to and connected with the said throats, in a manner well known in the art forexample, by the engagement of a blade 7) with a recess '51 arranged in the foot of each matrix, according to the position or s iape of which the respective matrix will be tilted to the right or to the left into its appropriate magazine.

Fig. 5 illustrates a third constructional form of the invention, also with six superposed magazines employing two distributors 0 and 0 each serving three magazines. The distribution into these place in the same manner as into the three throats 0 0 0 described in connection with Fig. 4:, and the arrangement of the magazine channels is that represented in Fig. 6. here again guided by a parallel linkage (Z, al (Z actuated by a cam g. The feeding of the matrices to the two distributers' is effected through two chutes 70 and 10 having their receiving ends in a common vertical plane.

magazines takes i The two distributers c and c are I The matrices to be distributed are separated at the entrance to the chutes, by any convenient form of font-separating device into two groups, and diverted by such device to one or other of the chutes I 70 appertaining to the respective distributer c, or 0 the matrices being thereafter distributed through the channels Z or Z to the magazines.

Fig. 7 illustrates a further constructional form of the invention in which a single distributer c is arranged to swing above the entrances of six magazines The guiding of the distributer is in this case also effected by parallel linkage (Z, (Z (Z and its movement controlled by a cam g which is so constructed that the distributer will be temporarily arrested above each magazine to allow time for the matrices to fall off into the respective magazine channels.

Inall the constructional forms above re ferred to a spring 1* has been provided which will maintain the distributer in operative contact with the cam 9, but it will be understood that a grooved cam could be conveniently substituted for this arrangement. Further, although as herein described and illustrated in the drawings, the distributing device is oscillated, a rectilinear reciprocating movement would equally satisfy the requirements of the invention.

Having described my invention I declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a typographical machine, the combination of a distributer having a plurality of series of combinations, those of one series adapted to release matrices of one font according to character and those of another series adapted to release matrices of another font according to character, and means actuated in proper synchronism with the operation of the distributer for moving the latter to different operative positions.

2. In a typographical machine, the combination of a distributer, and means actuated in proper synchronism with the actuation of the distributer for moving it to different operative positions, the said distributer having a plurality of series of combinations, those of one series adapted in one position of the distributer to release matrices of one font according to character and those of another series adapted in a different position of the distributer to release matrices of a further font according to character.

3. In a typographical composing machine, the combination with a plurality of magazines having their entrance channels arranged in echelon, and a distributer rail having different portions of its length appropriate to the distribution of matrices according to font, of means adapted to move the distributer rail into operative relationship with the different magazines, and means adapted to move matrices along the rail from one of the said portions to another during the movement of the distributer rail from one magazine to another.

4:. In a typographical composing machine, the combination with a plurality of magazines having their entrance channels arranged in echelon, and a distributer rail having difierent portions of its length appropriate to the distribution of matrices according to character, of means adapted at each cycle of operation to move the distributer rail backward and forward above the entrances of all the magazines, and means adapted to move matrices along the rail from one of said portions to another during a complete cycle of operation of the moving means for the distributer rail.

5. In a typographical composing machine,- the combination with a plurality of magazines having their entrance channels arranged in echelon, and a distributer rail having successive portions of its lengthappropriate to the distribution of matrices according to character, each such portion being divided into sections appropriate to the distribution of matrices of the same character according to font, of means adapted at each cycle of operation to move the distribu-' ter rail backward and forward above the entrances of all the magazines, and means adapted to move matrices along the ra1l from one font-distributing section to an-- other during the movement of the distributer rail from one magazine to another,'and from one character-distributing portion to another during a complete cycle of operation of the moving means for the distributer rail.

6. In a typographical machine, the combination of a distributer having a plurality of series of combinations, those of one series adapted to release matrices of one font according to character and those of another series adapted to release matrices of a different font according to character, and con tinuously operated means for moving the distributer to different operative positions, the said means being constructed so as to allow the distributer to pause temporarily in each of its operative positions while matrices of the corresponding font are being released.

7. In a typographical machine, the combination of a distributer comprising a distributer rail having combinations for separating matrices both according to character and font, and means for propelling the mat- &

according to both character and font matrices to be distributed thereinto, of means adapted to move the distributor backward and forward above the entrances of all the magazines and a chute adapted to move with zines, a distributor adapted to separate according to both character and font matrices to be distributed thereinto, and a chute through which matrices are delivered. to the distributer, of a frame to support the distributor, apivot for the said frame, a pivot for the chute near its rece'iving end and approximately ce-axial with the pivot of the distributor frame, and a cam on the machine frame adapted to simultaneously rock both distributer and chute about the respective pivots.

10.111 a typographical composing machine, the combination with a plurality of magazines, and a distributer comprising a rail and screws adapted to propel matrices along that rail, of a frame to support the distributor, a pivot for the said frame, a cam adapted to rock the distributer and frame about said pivot, and a driving gear eo-axial with the pivot of the distributer frame adapted to actuate both cam and screws.

11. In a typographical composing machine, the combination with a plurality of magazines, of a lesser plurality of entrance throats each adapted to conduct matrices according to font to a sub-multiple of the plurality of magazines, and a distributor adapted to be moved into operative relationship with the receiving ends of the different throats and to deliver thereto matrices destined for the respective magazines.

12. In a typographical composing machine, the combination with a plurality of magazines, of a distributer adapted to separate matrices according to group, each group appropriate to two or more fonts, a lesser plurality of entrance throats adapted to conduct matrices between the distributer and the magazine entrances, means adapted to move the distributor into operative relation ship with the different throats, and means within the throats adapted to divert to one or other of a sub-multiple of the plurality of magazines, matrices delivered to the throats by the distributor according to group.

13. In a typographical machine, the combination of a distributor comprising a longitudinally ribbed rail and means for propelling matrices therealong, a movable supporting frame carrying said distributer, and continuously operated means for moving the supporting frame backwardly and forwardly to locate the distributor in different operative positions.

14. In a typographical machine, the combination of a distributor comprising a longitudinally ribbed rail and means for propelling matrices therealong, a movable supporting frame carrying said distributor, continuously operated means for moving the supporting frame backwardly and forwardly to locate the distributor in different operative positions, and connections between the moving means and the matrix propelling means of the distributor toinsure their operation in the proper synchronism.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

CARL MUEHLnisnN.

Witnesses HENRY I-IAsrnR, ALLEN F. JENNINGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

